The GM Technical Centre Expands

On January 30, more than 70 members of the Business Council of Canada convened at the Canadian Technical Centre’s Markham Campus. They were gathered to celebrate the announcement that GM’s research and engineering operations in the city would be broadened. A complement to the automaker’s Oshawa Campus, the Markham facility will focus on a range of software projects.

GM Technical Centre

By expanding the GM Technical Centre in Markham, GM will be focusing their efforts on what they call “advanced mobility innovation.” That includes things like autonomous tech, vehicle dynamics systems, infotainment systems, and connectivity features. As it stands, Markham is home to well over 1,000 technology companies. In addition to being a technological hub, Markham is less than an hour from GM’s headquarters in Oshawa. Consequently, the expansion of the conveniently situated complex should come as no surprise. By the time GM completes it, the 150,000 sq.-ft complex will have a capacity of 700 employees. Already, 180 employees are working on site.

The creation of jobs in the automotive sphere will be welcome news to many Canadians. Considerable anxiety has followed Donald Trump’s promises to bring automotive jobs back to the United States. But, if Carlisle’s words hold true, these jobs are in no danger: “we are excited to be giving Canada’s best and brightest software engineers opportunities to help define some of the most important mobile technology changes in a generation. Canada’s focus on innovation, talent development and partnerships with the academic sector all bode very well for the future.”

Bright Future

If nothing else, GM’s focus on autonomous tech should have drivers excited. GM vehicles already have a suite of exciting driver-assistance features. The 2017 GMC Terrain, for example, has available Forward Collision Alert and Lane Departure Warning, Rear-Cross Traffic Alert, Rear Vision Camera, and Side Blind Zone Alert. Surrounding you with 360 degrees of protection adds a futuristic surreality to driving. Now, with GM assembling hundreds of Canada’s best software developers, you can only imagine what the actual future of driving will feel like.

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